The Little Witch  Emmy's Favorite Bedtime Story
by TheSouthernScribe
Summary: There's one story that Bonnie Bennett's daughter loves to hear night after night.


**Title:** The Little Witch - Emmy's Favorite Bedtime Story  
**Author:**  
**Fandom:** The Vampire Diaries with special guest stars from Covenant  
**Characters:** Bonnie Bennett/a crew of handsome guest stars/and one very special OC  
**Warnings/Spoilers:** Future fic with general TVD spoilers, little fluff, romance  
**Summary:** There's only one story Emmy loves to hear her mother tell before bed.  
**Disclaimer:** TVD nor its characters belong to me. I must go cry now.

"Mommy how did you fall in love with daddy?"

Bonnie paused midway through arranging the shelf of stuffed animals. Her daughter Emelia, was propped against an enormous pink shag pillow, her legs stretched in front of her on the bed, and feet crossed at the ankles; as she patiently awaited her mother's answer. The little girl's sandy brown lock framed her face and she looked like an angel but her eyes were full of devilment. Bonnie couldn't help but notice how much her baby girl resembled her husband.

"Mommy."

She was also persistent and _spoiled_. Traits delivered to the little girl's DNA by way of _his _family tree.

Bonnie turned to face her daughter, hands folded across her chest, "Emelia how many times have you heard that story?"

Emelia hadn't flinched or blinked an eye but in response to her mother's minor rebuke she'd cleared the shelf behind Bonnie with just a flicker of a thought. Every bear, bunny, and fluorescent dragon that lined the wall fell to the floor.

"Emmy, in this house, we use our words when we're angry, not magic."

With a wiggle of a finger, Emelia restored Bonnie's hard work.

The child pulled back the covers on the bed and buried her tiny frame under their warmth.

Emelia's mouth formed a heart shaped little pout and her eyes glazed over with unshed tears. Guilt settled around the Bonnie's heart.

Gram's words of wisdom echoed in her head.

_Don't give in to that child and her games._

It was no use. A few seconds passed before she nudged the little one to scoot over so she could join her in the bed. Bonnie grabbed an extra pillow and curled up next to her daughter.

"Last time and then off to dream land little girl."

Emelia nodded furiously before tossing and turning in an attempt to find a comfortable position to listen. Finally mother and daughter sealed their agreement with a pinky swear and story time began.

"Once upon a time…"

Bonnie felt stubby fingers reach for her face as she spoke.

In a barely audible whisper Emelia offered, "Mommy, I'm too old for once upon a time."

The words were burdened by the little girl's lisp and a tongue that slid in and out of the spaces that once held teeth. When did five become too old for once upon a time?

Bonnie leveled a look that Emelia knew well and the debate ended. She waited for the little one to settle in and before speaking again.

Once upon a time mommy was a little girl just like you.

_It was a known fact that Caroline Forbes had the best birthday parties in Mystic Falls. Theme parties were her specialty. At five there was the My Little Pony extravaganza, every little girl had their own pony to ride for a day. When year eight rolled around, Caroline had a small scale version of Miss Mystic Falls. Of course she won, but no girl went away without a smile after being treated like little princesses for the entire event. _

_The celebration for the eleventh year of the life of Miss Caroline Forbes introduced boys into the equation. Until that year only girls had enjoyed the Forbes sponsored events. The latest party boasted a dance floor, DJ, and enough unsupervised time to play the necessary game of spin the bottle. When Bonnie Bennett ended up in Caroline's basement with the birthday girl, Elena Gilbert, Tyler Lockwood, Abby Stevens, Jeremy Gilbert, and Matt Donovan she knew that things would definitely end badly. _

"_Quit being such a baby, Bon." Caroline tugged on her best friend's dress as she tried to coax her down the stairs. _

_Bonnie looked back towards the door and the sound of Sheriff Forbes' voice. "What if your mom finds out?"_

_The birthday girl ignored her friend's concern, "She's talking to Mrs. Lockwood, and we have at least fifteen minutes, maybe twenty, if they start talking about," Caroline dropped her voice to a whisper and leaned in closer to Bonnie's face, "Matt's mom and how she's always flirting with your dad, Elena's uncle John, and Mr. Lockwood."_

_Against her better judgment, Bonnie followed Caroline into the darkness. The group of kids settled in front of the dryer, Tyler produced the bottle, and everything was downhill from there. _

_Jeremy got the first spin and the bottle stopped in front of Abby. There was nothing exciting about the kiss, just a standard smooch that was over before it started. The next spin went to Caroline and the nose of the empty container paused in front of Elena. Everyone screamed, "Ewwwwweeeee," but the boys kept watching as the girl's puckered and made good on the rules of the game. _

_Matt got the next turn and before Bonnie could bolt from the room; she was trapped by bottle pointed in her direction. _

_Out of the three best friends, she was the shy one in the bunch. The girl who always paid attention to her school work, listened to her father and grandmother, and never thought twice about boys and any of their body parts touching her. _

_Matt was different._

_He made her feel funny. _

_Bonnie's eyes always found the back of his head in fourth period Social Studies; somehow he knew she was watching. Their eyes would meet and the warmest feeling would spread through her body until she forced her head down and her attention back to the pages of her textbook._

_Pizza day at school was her favorite; she never doubted the availability of ranch dressing, because his share always ended up on her tray. _

_Saturday mornings were reserved for watching old episodes of a show about rich kids in Beverly Hills. Just after nine the phone would ring and Bonnie wouldn't say a word as she clicked the button and listened to Matt begin to talk. For two hours they were Brandon and Andrea. _

_And now, Brandon's lips were really…really…really close to Andrea's. _

_The kiss would have been sweet, perfect if Matt hadn't bitten Bonnie's tongue until it started to bleed. Hope would have remained had Bonnie not kneed him between the legs while she wiggled and squirmed her way through the discomfort of the kiss. _

"Wait." Emelia threw up her hands interrupting Bonnie's story, "Mommy, you kissed Auntie Caroline's, Matt."

Every time the questions were the same.

"Yes Emelia, I kissed Mr. Matt."

"Daddy said that only, nastee girls kiss boys."

Bonnie smiled thinking about her husband's serious tone and frightened eyes as he tried to make their little girl hate everything about boys.

"Mommy kisses daddy and she's not a nasty girl."

Emelia climbed into Bonnie's lap and placed her head in the center of her mother's chest. "Keep going mommy, you're almost to my favorite part."

Bonnie wrapped her arms around the little girl and continued.

**_II._**

_Bonnie's parents divorced when she was a baby and at fifteen she still didn't know why. She could count the number of times she'd seen her mother on one hand. Whispers between her father and grandmother had been overheard but nothing provided an answer to why her parents gave up on their relationship. Nor did those discussions explain the unsettling look that was present in her father's eyes when he looked at her. _

_As the years passed, Bonnie's dad traveled more for work and the only constant in her life became her Grams. Sheila Bennett was the mean lady that every child avoided, except Bonnie and her circle of friends. They knew behind the stern looks that there were plates of chocolate chip cookies, homemade macaroni and cheese, and hugs that could right any wrong. It became a second home for them all. _

_Shelia Bennett's protection of Bonnie grew when the girl became a teen. She watched her carefully like she was waiting for a sign, event, or unexplained occurrence that never came. The two spent all their free time together; especially during winter and summer vacations. Granddaughter joined grandmother on an impromptu trip to a historical Massachusetts' colony the summer before her sophomore year of high school. Bonnie had remained quiet for most of the drive from Virginia. When she saw the sign, she struggled to pronounce the name and grabbed one of the books from her grandmother's bag. It was leather-bound with worn pages and writing scribbled in the margins. _

_**Ipswich Colony**_

_Bonnie eyes were still glued to the pages when Sheila's vehicle stopped in front of a massive mansion. A woman with dark hair, sad eyes, and a beautiful face ran from the front door. She'd never seen her grandmother let down her guard. Sheila hugged the woman tightly, they whispered like old friends, and both motioned for Bonnie to get out the car. _

"_Bonnie this is Evelyn Danvers, my old roommate from college." _

"_Sheila she's gorgeous. It's nice to finally meet you Bonnie." _

_The woman extended her hand and Bonnie accepted. She followed the women into the house as her neck stretched in an attempt to take in everything before her; the beautiful stairs, elaborately decorated rooms, and the masterpieces of art hanging from the walls. _

"_It's like living in a museum."_

_The voice startled Bonnie, she turned, and her eyes met a t-shirt clad chest. She looked up into the warm eyes that greeted her. _

"_Caleb Danvers and you must be Bonnie."_

_It was hard to find words to speak as the massive arm wrapped around her shoulders and directed her to the study. _

"_Sheila drops by every summer and they turn into teen-age girls again. At least this time I don't have to deal with it alone." _

_He flashed a grin and a wink and Bonnie fought the urge to evaporate into the air around them. _

_Sheila and Bonnie stayed for an entire week. Seven days spent lusting after Caleb Danvers._

_She did little more than stare at Caleb for the first two days but on the third something changed. He walked into the guest room without knocking, told her to get dressed, and meet him downstairs. Without hesitation she followed his command. Thirty minutes later covered in white shorts, a pink tank, and a pair of chucks Bonnie found herself in the driver's seat of his Mustang, flying around curved streets and unpaved roads. _

_When they ended the day at Nicki's with a round of pool, Bonnie swore she constantly heard Caleb repeating the number fifteen each and every time her body stretched across the pool table to break rack. Yes she was fifteen and that was only a year and few months younger than Caleb. Later that night age didn't matter when Bonnie pushed the memory of her first kiss with Matt out of her head, stretched on her tip toes, and brushed her lips against Caleb's. _

_He just stood there. _

_Bonnie's heart broke until she felt the warmth from the arms that circled her waist, followed by hands that pulled her hair from the requisite ponytail on top of her head, and lips that urged hers farther apart in an intense kiss. Sheila and Evelyn threw the two a knowing look when they stumbled into the house with swollen lips and reddened faces. _

_There were more kisses that followed as well as a discussion about just how far they should go. A constant current of energy flowed between them, it was attraction laced with something that Bonnie didn't quite understand. Then Caleb took her hand and led her down a flight of cold marble stairs. Things suddenly became clear. She listened as he echoed what she'd read in the history book. With a flick of a finger he pulled a book from the shelf and opened it before her. She wasn't afraid, she almost expected it. _

"_In our line the power lies with the man – other lines power often rests with the woman."_

_An image of her grandmother flashed in front of her eyes. It was a forgotten memory from her youth; a quick use of magic that she had never connected to anything other than her childhood imagination._

_Caleb shared more with her over the days that followed. They decided to remain friends, distance and circumstance, were not conducive for something more. Her skin was on fire when he placed a final kiss on her lips the day they left. She could hear him whispering in her head, seals for protection, comfort in moments of distress, and the knowledge that she would always have him as her friend. She sent the same sentiment over the channel before she climbed in the car and closed the door on seven days with Caleb Danvers. _

"Gross, CJ's dad? Mr. Danvers from the lake? I'm telling daddy."

Bonnie rolled her eyes, thinking about the last trip to the lake and the alpha male display that her husband and Caleb had put on for no one's benefit but their own.

"Trust me your dad already knows. Besides I thought you liked CJ." Bonnie mimicked her daughter's voice, "CJ is my bestest friend in the whole entire world mommy. I never want him to not be my friend."

Before the little girl could bury her head in the pillow a small patch of red spread across her face in response to her mother's words; the two kids were born weeks apart. The first in each of their family's line and the promise of great power to be wielded by their hands, maybe the Bennett/Danvers romance was meant for their generation.

"Shall, I continue, or are you going to stay under that pillow all night?"

Emelia's head popped up and a Bonnie could see every gap and new tooth in her daughter's mouth thanks to the huge grin on the little girl's face, "Continue – time for my favorite part."

The little girl giggled and it was contagious. This was Bonnie's favorite part too.

**III.**

_Battles in Mystic Falls became common after the tomb was opened. Vampires, covens of evil witches, werewolves, and demons entered the town in search of an opportunity for domination and increased power. The summer Elena and Bonnie graduated from high school, a group of men rode in on Harleys. They were so sexy that even the witch and prude of the group had to utter a simple, "Damn." _

_Then that damn shifted into a different kind of damn when all hell broke lose in the parking lot of the grill. When Tyler approached with Jeremy, Stefan, and Damon following close behind, the mood of the visitors changed. They looked from Tyler to the other boys with confusion. Bonnie understood immediately. Their energy was very similar to the young werewolf and they were obviously aware that his three friends were vamps. _

_Stefan caught the scent of the men and confirmed Bonnie's suspicions. He pulled Jeremy behind him and Damon moved to stand beside Tyler who was seconds from shifting to his other nature. Without a second thought Bonnie ran to stand between the wolf and vampire. _

"_Well hello there __chere__."_

_The leader was polite and charming but his eyes told the tale. Damon stepped out. There were no wisecracks or insults; he positioned his body in front of Bonnie and Tyler. His intent was clear when spoke._

"_Leave, before I kick your ass back to the bayou."_

_Motorcycle man laughed, "Says the vampire protecting a wolf and a witch. Don't think so. I see something I'd love to take for a ride."_

_The man's eyes drifted to Bonnie and she heard the distinct sound of Tyler's snarl and Damon's growl. When the stranger moved in her direction, Damon turned to Tyler, whispered an inaudible command and Bonnie found herself cradled to the wolf's chest as he took off and ran in the opposite direction. _

"_Put me down Ty." She screamed as she struggled to break free from her friend's grasp. _

"_I can't Bon, Damon will kill me." _

_The admission surprised her and she didn't question Tyler further. He didn't stop running until they reached the door of the Bennett home. She went inside while he stood watch as if he was waiting on his next orders. _

_Hours passed before a tap on her window, woke the sleeping witch. _

_When she peeked outside, there was the eldest Salvatore, battered and bloody, but alive._

"_You should see the other guy."_

_He tried laughed in spite of his pain. _

"_Damon, please come in." _

_Damon leapt from the tree to the window sill and soon he was standing in the moonlit darkness of her room. Bonnie cleaned the wound on his side and covered it in gauze and tape. She stole a shirt from her dad's drawer and turned her back while he changed. _

"_Thanks little witch." He said before collapsing on her bed. He looked tired but she had so many questions running through her head. _

"_Why do you care what happens to me?"_

_His annoyance was evident, "You just don't get it Bennett." _

_Bonnie's eyes closed when she felt the tips of his fingers trace her lips and then he was gone._

Bonnie looked down to the sleeping angel in her lap. She slipped from the bed and pulled the comforter up to her daughter's chin. She turned off the light and made her way down the hall.

The sight in her bedroom surprised her, "I didn't hear you come in."

"You were with Emmy. I couldn't interrupt story time."

After all these years Bonnie still found Damon's smile intoxicating. His hair was still wet from the shower and he'd only managed to pull on the silk pajama pants. He opened his arms and she quickly filled them. She placed her head against his chest; the sound of the heart beating in his chest was a simple comfort.

Yes she'd fallen for him the night he put her safety before his own. She'd known their love was meant to be when he'd exchanged his immortality for her life. Her fingers drifted up to his temples and she stroked the strands of gray there.

"I love you."

More than those three little words could ever convey.

Damon bent his head and kissed Bonnie's lips, "Always and forever, little witch."


End file.
